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-AJOSPYH E. WATTS, 0F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.

t Letters Paten-t No. 96,747, dated November 9, 1869.

VALVE-PROTECTOR.

The Schedule referredto in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all to 'whom these presents shall come:

Be it known that I, J osera E. WATTS, Lawrence, in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have made an invention of a new and usefuldevice 0r Mode of Protecting Talves against injurious action of dirt and foreign substances; and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my invention;l

Figure 2 being a transverse section of the same.

Various expedients ha ve been heretoibre adopted by mechanics in the attempt to clear-a valve of dirt or extraneous matter which may iind itsway to it, and,

by creeping between it and the seat, produce very in jurious results.

These expedients have all been connected directly with the valve, and aimat relieving the valve of injurions matters after they have come in contact with it.

My invention, herein described, is intended to insulate the valve entirely from the action of dirt, by removing the dirt from the steam or other i'luid, previous to its reaching the valve.

By this course, 1 entirely obviate any wear upon the valve, which now results under the best of care, while the act of removing the dirt which may accumulate, need be done only at comparatively long intervals of time. r

The invention consists in the employment of a shall'ow chamber or vessel, of a flattened spheroidal form, such vessel being provided, at cach side, with inlet and outlet-pipes for the passage. of steam or other fluid through it, the said chamber being divided by a foraminous partition or disk, which serves to arrest and'collect dirt, or any foreign and injurious agent, which would otherwise pass on to the engine-valve, and with a blow-oil` cock for cleansing the diaphragm, as hereinafter explained.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, at a, a vessel or receiver, of a flattened spheroidal, or other proper form, such vesselA being composed of two bowls or concavous disks, b l), bolted together face' to face, and so as to enclose between them, in a perfect steam-tight joint, 'a tbraminous partition or screen, c. l

This said screen is enclosed so tight between the two bowls, that crippling of it is impossible, anda tight joint is thereby secured between the abutting face of the said bowls, for additional security, a rubber ring, b, being situated between them.

The lower part of the chamber a is provided with a suitable cock, d, to permit ofA blow off or escape at this point.

A pipe,f or f', is made upon the receiver (l, and so as to extend in opposite directions therefrom, one of such pipes heilig carried to the steam-generator, and

the other to the steam-trap, or other object containing a valve.

As steam, in its passage to the steam-trap, or to any species of valve, perforce passes through thel .interstices ofthc foraminous diaphragm, it will be evident that any vparticles of foreign matter which would tend to clog, loosen, or wear the valve, will he retained by such diaphragm, and from whence they may be removed at any time, hy opening the faucet (I, and al lowing the steam to blow oii'" through it.

Owing to the large area of the diaphragm c, clogging of it becomes impossible, provided even ordinary care is taken" to clean it.

The advantages of my invention are, that besides obtaining perfect immunity of the valve Vfrom the injurious act-ion of foreign substances, I secure the re- A moval of `these impurities in a comparatively quick and expeditious manner.

The device is inexpensive, and may be applied `to any species of valve, and may be used to advantage with either steam or water.

`I am aware that it is not novel to extend gauze between the inlet and out-let-'oriiices ot' a case, such as described, and this I do not claim; but I am not aware that a blow-oli` cock has ever been used in connection' therewith, for the purpose of cleansing the diaphragm and chamber-of sediment. v

Claim.

'IY claim as' my invention, and dcsirc to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A valve-protector, so` called, consisting of the chamber or case a., and the foraminous or gauze diaphmgm or screen c, the case being provided with inlet and outlet-pipes or passages for attachment, and with a blow-off cock, for cleaning the diaphragm of all foreign substances which may collect thereupon, and the whole being in manner and for the purpose as explained.

JOSEPH 1C. WATTS.'

fitnesscs \V1LL1AM Simnnocn, \V1LLIAM HowAn'rn. 

